China's Three Gorges Dam has been retaining water during recent flood peaks in order to prevent the occurrence of floods on its middle and lower reaches, according to a report released by the dam's operational management department.

This year's flood season has seen two flood peaks thus far, with the dam holding back 4.3 billion cubic meters of water over the course of the flood season, the report said.

The dam has seen significant increases in its own water level since the flood season began. On Monday morning, the dam recorded a water level of 148.5 meters, the highest level recorded so far this year.

To ease pressure on downstream areas, the Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has ordered the Three Gorges Reservoir to gradually increase the amount of water that it discharges to the river's lower reaches.

Located on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, the Three Gorges project consists of a 185-meter-high dam, which was completed in early 2006, a five-tier ship lock, a reservoir and 32 hydropower generators.

In 2010, more than 26 billion cubic meters of water were held back in the reservoir, which helped authorities to control flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze.